What Should You Feed Your Pet Rats

Rats are omnivores, that is they will eat meat and vegetables. There are several different things you can feed your Pet Rats, but I suggest a seed mix as well as block food. Most pre-packaged seed mix will have some rodent block food already in it. I use Fiesta rat and mouse food.

You will also want to provide fresh vegies every other day, but make sure you remove what's left over at night so it doesn't spoil. Spoiled food can make your rats sick, just as it would make you sick. A good rule of thumb is never to give your pet rat vegetables that you would not eat yourself, so if they don't look good to you, don't feed it to them.

You should also make sure you have a supply of Timothy Hay available for your rat, they will use it as bedding when not eating it. The best part is, it's very healthy for your rats.

Fresh foods and Water

You will need two different food bowls, one for a seed mixture and one for vegetables. Keep the bowls clean by washing them out with warm water every time you add food to it. Some of the food will be eaten, some will be hidden in the cage and some will be left in the bowl. Once a week when you clean the cage you will need to remove all the seed mix they have hidden along with all the bedding and any seeds left in the bowl. Clean out the entire cage and put in new bedding with fresh food.

Water should not be given in a bowl but rather a water bottle. Otherwise the water will get dirty and most likely knocked over. The water bottle should be emptied every day and fresh water added. If you have two rats in a cage you should have a large water bottle as they drink quite often throughout the day and night. You can add vitamin supplements to the water as your rat gets older. Some rats will chew their water bottles if they are places on the inside of the cage, so if you have a water bottle that hangs on the inside of the cage I would recommed getting a water bottle with metal chew guards, so they cannot chew a hole in the water bottle.

Treats

Feeding your rats treats will keep them happy as well as healthy. Some treats you can give your rats include,
Cooked pasta
Raw vegetables
Raw fruits
Dog biscuits
Cooked white rice
Whole wheat flakes
Pumpkin seeds
Avocado
Spinach
Oatmeal
Broccoli
Carrots
Blackberries
Green Beans
Peas
Melon
Banana
Apple
Mushroom
There are alot more foods and some of them your rat may or may not eat, but it's good to try different foods and find out what they like.

Foods to give sparingly

Some foods however are not as good for rats as others. These things are high in fat or have to much sugar.
Dark chocolate
Nuts
Oranges
fast food
Sweetened cereals
Cookies

No matter what you feed your pet rats, the most important thing to keep in mind is variety. A large variety of foods is the best way to keep your rat healthy.